Get ready to see the darkest side of humanity.

It is a morbid curiosity that compels us to learn more about serial killers. It’s not because they are people to be “admired”—by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, we are compelled by the horror of it. These are human beings who, for reasons unknown to most of us, decide to do the worst possible things to other human beings. We read about them to find out why. What would make someone commit such heinous crimes? What leads someone to take away the most vital agency of another—their right to life? We read about serial killers because we want to reassure ourselves: this could never be us. But also because we fear: …could it?

Have you ever wanted to get into a mind of evil? Serial killers are notorious for their atrocious, unthinkable crimes against humanity—it’s only natural to want to get a better understanding of how the minds of killers work. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Kemper, the Zodiac Killer, the Golden State Killer—men like these and many more have been the focus of cultural fascination ever since they first made headlines. Curiosity is a powerful force, and if you’re dying to learn (pardon the pun) about the individuals behind top news stories, serial killer books are a fantastic way to dive into the deep end.

Here are some chilling places to start:

• 32 most horrifying serial killer books
   
• 13 books about lesser-known serial killers
   
• 7 chilling books by people who knew serial killers

And once you’ve read those, peruse the stories below for more suggestions on fascinating books on serial killers.